Wall Corner's with Timbers

[David_Knight]

I have a question. 

I'm trying to draw a wall in plan that has Wood Timbers in the corner.  The problem im having is that if i use a Body Modifyer it puts dark heavy lines within the wall.  And Plan modifiers don't seem to be working.  I tried to use an interference condition and that also did not do the trick.

I tried to force a cleanup and that did not work either.  So what the heck am i doing wrong... Or better yet... whats the right way to do this?

I'm totally stumped.

[ntellery]

Maybe I don't get what you are trying to do but it was easy to trace a closed pline around your shape, turn it into a masselement, sit it into your aec wall and add it as an interference (subtractive) to both walls.  You could then give the ME a style to control display in plan and elev.

Down & dirty this way and not part of the wall.

Trying to model as a bodmod, I would think it necessary to split at 45d and add each half to each wall.  I've always ended up with a 45d line.

I came up with what I called a 'sleeper componant' idea years ago and it might serve you here. What it means is the material assigned to the body modifier can be different to the main wall, otherwise you cannot assign a material at all in the BodMod other than what is in the wall.

The problem I run into is I have to get rid of the Brick and replace with timber and this is not a one step process. ( ACA needs to be improved where you have a selection box and can tick which componants are removed.)  So I can get the timber to show up but the brick is still there. So I don't like the BodMod approach much either.

You could try using a structural column.  Turn the profile into a shape.  Benefit is you can't accidently distort the shape as you can with an extruded masselement.  Might be faster and more robust to place and track. Just again add to each wall as interference (subtractive).  Nice thing about interference is, unlike bodmod it will apply to any componant of the wall at once.

[David_Knight]

When i did it as an interference condition it left a dark line in my wall where i did not want it.  I tried to open the cad file you attached, but unfortunately i only have 2012.  We have not yet upgraded to 2013 and had canceled our subscription last November.

I love the idea of the sleeper component.  That's ingenious!

If you can upload the cad file in 2012 format id greatly appreciate it.  I'd like to see if your results looked like what i got, or if i did something incorrectly when i generated the interference condition.

Ironically, this morning after struggling with it all day yesterday to get rid of the dark lines around the timber - my boss requested we darken the lines around the timber.  So the interference condition should work perfectly.  How do you lock the interference condition to the wall, or do you just have to move both pieces from here on out now?

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.

David.

[ntellery · Accepted solution]

Beat my email.  I downloaded again and edited in 12.

Attached has solution and then copied and an anchor attached.

Do you know how to create a structural element? That seemed the best way to me and easy to create & duplicate.

When setting the insert point of the shape, select the outside corner.

When placing the column, use the baseline justification.

The darkline could be one of a number but in this method, the wall shrinkwrap should wrap around the cut and show whatever thick line you have set.

The Structural element style (TimberCorner?) can have it’s own line settings as well.

To create interference, select wall, right click and choose Interference Condition (subtractive) {or use that ribbon thingy somewhere}.

Don’t forget to read your command line for any options that pop up.

How can you anchor? Well Helpful adesk have hidden all the useful anchor tools from you so unless you know the commandline...

(I’ve added them to my own toolbar) Adesk could add them to the ribbon thingy unless they are trying to cripple ACA’s usefulness and purposely want to hide them??)

Try _OBJECTANCHORATTACH and and anchor to one wall. It may not always move as you want (ie, won’t stick to corner).

On the “sleeper componant” thanks. Yes I think a great idea too. But not for this problem. Very useful though in others – when not in the corner connecting to 2 walls.

The particular point about being able to assign materials within the wall style is one you will not get.

As an aside.

I recommend reading up on ByMaterial setting as it will make your wall management a whole lot easier than what you are doing.

[David_Knight]

The structural member worked perfectly.  Thanks a million.  I'll keep that tip about anchoring in my email folder too.

I'll check out the "By material" Setting.  I've never had any formal training in autocad (Since R14 at least) lol.  So everytyhing i've done, created, setup is a result of me tinkering with it, or reading about it in my spare time.

I'm probably not doing it correctly, so i'll check them out.  One thing i plan on changing next project, is using the Face of stud as my baseline, vs the face of the inside wall.

Your answer was prefect and well explained.  Thanks again!

David.

[ntellery]

Great to hear.

I'm blowing my own trumpet here, I am sure there are better articles online but once I 'got' the ByMaterial thing it made management so much easier.  Fully recommend anyone to take this route.

This article too, to a lesser extent that the first one.

Well setout point is up to how you work.  Locally we work to the outside face (brickwork) but I notice in the US they work to timber stud.

btw I am self taught too.  Just read heaps of great articles online.

[David_Knight]

That's good info.

I'll digest it tomorow at lunch.

Thanks!